Captain's Promise
by doggoneit
Summary: The Heart Pirates don't like the idea of their captain journeying alone to Punk Hazard, so Law promises them he will return. But Punk Hazard is a dangerous place with dangerous people and Law may not be able to uphold his promise. An alternative story and ending to the Punk Hazard arc.
1. Chapter 1

**Goodbye**

Chapter One

* * *

The only sound in the control room of the submerged submarine was Bepo's quill scratching the finishing touches on a map. On occasion, the polar bear navigator lifted his eyes to the Log Pose, checked the needle's deviation and made the necessary adjustments to keep them on track to their destination.

Law kept his eyes on the Log Pose. "How much longer until we reach Zo?"

Bepo wiped his brow with the back of his paw. The heat always got to the furry animal and he constantly whinged about it. Not today though. "Another ten minutes, Captain."

A grin tugged at Law's lips. His plan was rolling into the next phase and the enormity of it sent thrills shooting through his blood.

Law turned to Shachi. The younger man sat precariously on his chair, rocking backwards on it with his legs propped up on Bepo's desk and his arms behind his head. "Where's Penguin?"

"In the engine room with Jean Bart," Shachi answered. He sat straight again and pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Want me to call him here?"

"Yeah."

"Aye aye, Captain." Shachi gave a playful salute and went off, returning minutes later with his best friend in tow.

Law had thought long and hard about whom would make the best substitute for him while he was gone. He trusted Bepo to the ends of the world and back, but the polar bear was too emotional and passive to be a leader. On the other hand, Penguin always kept a clear head and scraped through in pinches though he tended to slack off at times.

In the end, Law chose Penguin. If the Heart Pirates ran into trouble in his absence, Penguin would formulate a plan to decimate the enemy and execute it flawlessly.

But Penguin was not happy. He slouched against the wall and pointedly did not look at his captain.

"Our food supply is dwindling," Law said. "Give our cook extra money when he goes grocery shopping. Remind him not to buy peanuts because the new guy has allergies."

"Yeah."

"I know you and Jean Bart are taking a look at the engines, but if you can't find out what the problem is then take the sub to a shipwright. Ask them for more details about maintenance and buy some spare parts while you're at it."

"Got it."

"Bepo also needs a new brush. Pet shops don't sell grooming materials for polar bears so find one suited for large dogs with double coats."

A low whine escaped Bepo's throat. Shachi heaved a sigh—he'd been dealing with Bepo's anxieties all week and was long over it.

"But Captain," Bepo whined, "no-one will brush my fur for me while you're gone."

"Shachi will do it." Law pushed away the thought of being unable run a brush through the polar bear's coarse white fur, working out the knots, the debris and his stress. Shachi was the best choice because he was the second gentlest person in the crew, right after Bepo. Even though Shachi wouldn't show it, he would brush Bepo's fur with affection.

Bepo's liquid chocolate eyes turned to his friend. "Really?" he hopefully asked.

"Ah…" Shachi hesitated and then his shoulders sagged. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

That matter settled, Law continued his spiel to Penguin. "This landing will be no different to any other. Give everyone ten thousand beli and tell them to stay out of trouble—they must be back here by midnight. If they cause a ruckus, I'm not going to rescue them. I don't want any delays."

"What a surprise," Penguin muttered.

"Penguin!" Bepo cried. "How could you say that to Captain?"

Law didn't take offense. A lot of his men weren't happy with his decision to go to Punk Hazard alone. "That's not what I meant," he said. "My orders won't change just because I'm absent. I still expect you to maintain my rules and my orders and that includes curfew. I don't need any of you dying while I'm not here to protect you."

"What about the other way around?" Penguin demanded. His eyes flared up underneath the shadow of his hat. "You're entering dangerous territory by yourself and that's not what a captain does. There's a reason why he has a crew—so they can back him up when he needs it! What are you going to do if you need our help and we can't run to your side because we're ten islands away?"

Bepo's ears flattened against his head in remorse and he emitted another whine. Shachi patted his friend's back with a soft word of sympathy.

So it wasn't abandonment that ran through their heads, but the thought of being away from him? Law hid his mirth behind a snicker. His men were loyal to a fault.

"A captain doesn't unnecessarily put his crew at risk," he said. "The next stretch of my plan has to be done alone for discretion. If there are too many people, Doflamingo will suspect something and everything will be ruined then."

All three of his men flinched hearing Doflamingo's name. It wasn't the reaction Law had been hoping for. Now they were only going to think about all the risks that his plan involved.

True, Law's plan ran at a scale at blew their minds but it was necessary. He had to provoke a reaction from the Four Emperors instead of usurping one of them. What would that achieve, when the Pirate King had to rule all of the seas? And to do that, he had to face his childhood fear—Doflamingo.

But Law could do it. He knew he could. "Don't you trust my judgement?" he asked.

Bepo and Shachi reluctantly nodded. Penguin never got the chance to reply.

"Approaching land!" A voice rang out over the den-den mushi PA system. "Prepare for emersion!"

The rudder tilted sideways and the nose of the submarine lifted upwards, throwing them off-balance. Shachi yowled and grabbed onto Bepo, who scrabbled to hold onto the desk that was nailed down to the floor. Penguin flew across the room and hit the wall while Law simply leaned against the pull of acceleration.

The submarine burst from the surface of the water and everyone flailed for balance as the machine righted itself. Law grabbed his nodaichi, Kikoku, and headed for the deck, closely followed by his men.

* * *

Outside, Law took deep breaths of crisp, salty air into his lungs and, before his crew could protest, headed for the plaza. He knew from the News Coo that Punk Hazard had strange weather phenomena after Aokiji and Akainu of the Marines fought for dominancy. He needed to buy clothes to suit the opposing weathers in Punk Hazard.

Or maybe just for the frozen wasteland. There wasn't much he could do about the heat smothering the volcanic wasteland, other than stripping down to cool himself off.

A coat was definitely needed. Perhaps a new hat too. Law reached up to touch his fur hat, which was beginning to wear thin. It wasn't as warm as it once was but he didn't have the heart to throw it away. It was his beloved furry, spotted hat given to him by his crew.

Could there be anything worthy of replacing his hat?

The first shop Law entered was some franchise that sold a fashion line called Criminal. He'd never heard of it before but apparently it was popular amongst today's youth. Law sifted through the jackets and the coats but none of them were to his liking. They were either too dull, too colourful or plain hideous. Law knew he was being picky, but he had a reputation to uphold.

"Can I help you with anything, sir?"

A middle-aged gentleman with greying hair and a handlebar moustache appeared and rubbed his hands together with a bright, toothy grin. He had _money-snatcher_ written all over him.

"No thank you, Mister Attendant. I'm just browsing."

The man continued as though he hadn't heard anything. He waved his arms enthusiastically and almost whacked Law's chin. "We have a large selection of the finest coats in all of Zo. You'll find something you like here, I guarantee it!"

Not if you keep pestering me, Law thought. His fingers itched to unsheathe Kikoku and chop the man up into three pieces. But he refrained for fear of appearing hypocritical in his crew's eyes.

Instead, he turned away from the attendant and a flash of yellow caught his eyes. Now _that_ was what he was talking about.

The honey-coloured waist-length jacket had a fur trim around the collar, sleeves and hem. Even better, black swirls emblazoned the fabric and met in a large heart on the back. The yellow matched his submarine and the heart matched his tattoos. Perfect.

Law reached for it and handed it to the attendant. "I'll take this."

A beam split the man's face. "A fantastic choice, sir! I'll ring it up on the counter and… let's see, it comes to seventy thousand beli."

"You wouldn't happen to have accessories with that, would you?" Law mused as he pulled out his money pouch. He wasn't much of a jewellery fan but if there was anything as perfect as that jacket, then he was willing to pay for it and wear it. "I want hearts on them."

"Captain, no!"

Shachi's voice screeched through the shop and Law almost dropped his money pouch.

"Shachi? Bepo? Penguin? What are you—?"

"You can't buy something like that!" Shachi grabbed Law's arm and began pulling him out of the shop. The attendant made a noise of protest but Penguin glared and the man melted away with the perfect jacket clutched in his flabby hands. "We know you like showing off the hearts because of what it represents but it's too dangerous."

"I couldn't care less about the danger." Irritation flickered through Law. Why did his crew insist on sabotaging his shopping trips every time they docked on an island?

Penguin folded his arms, chin out and ready to argue but Bepo beat him to it. "Please, Captain," he said in the most forlorn voice Law had ever heard. "We want you to be safe."

Law sighed. Bepo's worrying keened against his nerves but he didn't want to agitate the poor bear further. He waved off the attendant who stood in the background and exited the shop. If Law couldn't have that jacket then he'd have to find something less elaborate. It'd be hard, though. Law may have held the jacket in his hands for mere seconds, but he'd grown attached to it.

"I can't believe that jacket was seventy thousand beli," Shachi muttered as they entered the flea market. Shouts, haggles and laughter rang through the square and the smell of freshly fried takoyaki filled the air. "What a swindler! The jacket's material wasn't that good. The fur wasn't even real. What idiot would pay seventy thousand beli for that?"

Penguin arched his eyebrows, barely visible under his hat, and jerked his chin at Law.

"Oh." Shachi realised his mistake. "Not that you're an idiot, Captain."

Law tuned him out. Shachi was always running his tongue and he'd long since learned not to pay attention to the redhead. Instead, his attention was snapped up by a vendor who waved and yelled to let everyone know about the fifty-percent off sale he was having on clothes.

The little stall was filled with racks and shelves. Law expertly ran his fingers through the clothes hangers but everything dimmed in comparison to the yellow jacket. He abandoned his search and looked for a hat instead. There were caps and trilbies and such, and Law wondered if any of them were good enough to replace his current hat.

He picked up a grey beanie from a mannequin's head. It had two rows of little black hearts knitted into the base.

_Hearts_.

Law tried not to appear too excited. Perhaps if he slipped the beanie into the pocket of his hoodie and left a few coins on the table…

"What's that?" Shachi's head appeared over his shoulder. His eyes widened behind his sunglasses when he saw what Law held in his hands.

"No!" Shachi's hand darted out and snatched the offending item away.

"No hearts," Penguin firmly said. Bepo echoed the sentiment with a furious nod of his head.

Law curled his lip. "Tch."

"We've got everything, right?" Shachi waited for affirmation from his friends. "Great, let's go back!"

Law's head snapped up in surprise. He held Kikoku out to block their path and narrowed his eyes. "That's strange. You always ask me to push curfew back so why are you returning earlier out of your own volition?"

"Bepo feels ill," Penguin said.

"What!" Law spun around and rested the back of his hand against Bepo's forehead, not that he could tell whether the bear was heating up or not because of all the fur. "Why didn't you say something earlier? Back to the sub, _now_."

* * *

Law half-walked, half-ran onto the deck of the submarine when—

"SURPRISE!"

He halted in mid-step. Everyone from the Heart Pirates stood on the deck, holding out a giant cake frosted with their Jolly Roger, and wearing party hats which looked ridiculous with their boiler suits.

"I'm guessing Bepo isn't ill." Law set his foot down. "What's this?"

"Your going away party," Shachi laughed. He took off his casquette and snapped a party hat over his head. Grinning, his fingers danced closer and closer to Law's head.

"Don't you dare." Law's tone left no room for argument but Shachi stuck his tongue out and seized Law's precious hat.

Law made a grab for it but Shachi skipped away. "Give it back, Shachi. Don't make me cut you."

"Hmm." Shachi tilted his head and pretended to think about it. "Nope!"

Law's hand went to Kikoku's hilt and Shachi dove behind Jean Bart with a yelp. Law showed no mercy when it came to cutting people up and that included his crew. Shachi had made so many blunders it was almost a ritual for Law to slice him up.

"Wait, Captain."

Law turned his murderous eyes onto Bepo, and softened immediately. The polar bear smiled and held out a box.

"What's this?"

"Your going away present," Bepo cheerfully said. "Everyone helped make it because everyone wants you to think about us when you're gone."

Law loosened his grip on Kikoku, sending one last death glare at Shachi, and passed his nodaichi to Penguin. He took the box from Bepo and unwrapped it, lifting out the new hat in surprise. It was larger than his previous hat, rounder, with a bill, but it was still fluffy and white and it had the spots Law loved so much.

Then out came the coat. Full-length, black, with a high collar and his Jolly Roger grinning up at him from the bottom.

"It was Penguin's idea," Shachi said, peeping out from behind Jean Bart's huge body. "He's worried you're going to freeze."

Penguin pulled his hat lower across his eyes and refused to acknowledge Shachi's comment. "You need warmer clothes where you're going."

"Put it on, Captain!"

"Yeah, show us what it looks like!"

Everyone eagerly looked at him. Something between embarrassment and annoyance tugged at his insides. But unwilling to disappoint his men who put so much effort into this, Law pulled the coat over his shoulders and jammed the hat onto his head. Everyone began cheering and the heat rose in his cheeks. Thankfully, his skin was too dark for them to make anything out.

"All right, men!" Shachi jumped onto a table and held out Law's old hat. "New game! Whoever wins gets Captain's hat. It's a lucky charm! Who's in?"

Voices clamoured over one another as they all fought for a place in the game. Law slapped a palm to his forehead. Trust his crew to do something as idiotic as this.

* * *

That night, Law zipped up his new coat and patted his head to make sure his beloved new hat was still there. Then he tore the map from Bepo's notebook, the one the bear had been drawing earlier that day. It was a map of Zo and the surrounding islands. On the bottom right hand corner was a smudged paw print where Bepo had accidentally lost focus. Satisfied, Law took Kikoku from the floor next to Bepo.

"Aye aye, Captain." The polar bear murmured, then continued snoring.

Law tiptoed around his men's sleeping bodies and off the deck. He needed to find a ship to take him to Punk Hazard. Chances were the fishermen wouldn't be willing but he could threaten them—after all, he was a War Lord now. If they absolutely refused, he could just take over the ship himself. He was an able navigator and helmsman.

"Going somewhere?"

Law looked up to see Penguin's silhouette against the darkened sky. "Since when isn't the captain allowed to go where he pleases?"

"You're leaving without saying goodbye?"

"I'm only going to be gone for a while."

"You're going to miss us, aren't you?"

Law smirked. "Say goodbye to them for me."

"Why don't you tell them yourself?" Penguin gestured behind him where everyone stood. When had they awoken? Law had been certain his men were asleep. Perhaps his cunningness was starting to rub off on them.

"See you soon, Captain!" Bepo waved with a giant grin on his face.

Shachi cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Make sure you eat properly. Don't forget, it's supposed to be three meals a day. Not three cups of coffee!"

"Don't stay up too late reading!" Jean Bart added.

"Call us soon!"

"Take care of yourself!"

Law didn't say anything. Because if he did, he didn't know whether he'd be able to stop himself from asking them to sail with him.

"Captain!" Penguin's voice boomed out. "We'll follow you forever. So come back soon!"

Hearing his first mate's voice, Law lifted his hand in goodbye. They never saw the smile on his face as he walked away.

_I promise._

* * *

**A.N.**

This is my very first fic, inspired by **ne0nn** and by a doujinshi **amaitsumi** translated (Before Punk Hazard) on Tumblr.

If you liked it, please review! If you didn't like it, that's all right- I welcome constructive criticism!


	2. Chapter 2

**Pirate Guy, Pirate Spy**

Chapter Two

* * *

It was far colder on the roof of the Third Research Institute than on ground level. The roaring winds bit Law's cheeks and he buried his face deeper into the warmth of his collar, surveying the snowy grounds from under the bill of his hat for outsiders. The only people Law made out were guards in yellow biohazard suits. Two dozen of them patrolled the area, a new practice after Law literally dropped in on them last week.

They had to be more vigilant to protect Caesar Clown, a man who had worked under the guidance of the marine scientist Vegapunk before a workplace accident rendered the island uninhabitable. To the rest of the world, Punk Hazard was still a death trap but Law's network told him otherwise and they were right. Caesar Clown had returned and made full use of the facilities available to continue his research.

"Here you are." Caesar's secretary, Monet, stood in the doorway behind him, unaffected by the wind that nipped at her bare arms and legs. Her half-lidded eyes glowed amber when she spoke again. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Is something wrong?"

"There's one more operation you need to perform."

When Law defended himself against Caesar Clown's guards, he'd noticed they were paralysed from waist down and couldn't fight well in their mobile balloon contraptions. In exchange for residency at the facility, Law offered to not only act as a lookout but also to give the men new legs.

He'd finished operating on them three days ago.

"All your men were accounted for when I operated."

"Not them." Monet tucked a strand of lichen-green hair behind her ear. "Me."

"That's not a part of our deal."

"I never intended for you to exert yourself. I'll pay you. Whatever you desire, within reason. Gold, pharmaceutical goods, ancient textbooks." Monet licked her lips. "We have no shortages of those here."

How tempting.

Law followed Monet into the facility again, warm air nestling against his coat and making steam rise from it. Two guards, who had stood on either side of the door, fell in step behind them. They escorted Law day and night and as such, Law hadn't been able to call his crew. It left a bitter taste in the back of his throat.

* * *

The first thing Law noticed in Building A was Caesar's gaseous form in the air. The scientist waved his arms erratically and shouted encouragement at a score of his subordinates who were still wobbling on their new legs. They stood and shook like newborn foals and some managed to take a few steps before losing their balance.

"Continue to do your best, my subordinates! I know this is hard and it breaks my heart to see you struggling so much but I swear we'll overcome this obstacle together. Try, try again! Don't give up! Rise and march on!"

"Master," Monet called.

"Eh?" Caesar looked down and threw his hands up. "Trafalgar! Look at my men! They're doing such a good job of overcoming their pain. And they're doing it for my sake! Mine! Aren't they the best subordinates a man could ask for?"

Some of them began to tear up while others sobbed into their palms. A few of them outright howled. "No, Master! Your kindness is too much!"

What were they all smoking? Law dismissed them and jerked his chin at Monet. "Where's the animal?"

A scream grazed Law's ears and he spun to its source. A human-sized owl fought to free itself from its cage in one corner of the laboratory, all white feathers with black markings on its chest. Monet had hunted the strongest animals she could find for the men and this bird was no exception.

"Isn't it lovely?" Caesar cooed. He wafted towards the bars and narrowly avoided being bitten by the bird's snapping beak. "You'll do great things with its abilities, Monet."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Law rested his noidaichi on the ground. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Give me the ability to fly," Monet answered.

"You won't be able to fly just because you have wings—your body isn't made for it. There's no reason to risk your arms for such a small chance of success."

"But if I grab that small chance of success, I may end up with greater capabilities. Isn't that enough of a reason?"

Caesar's purple-rimmed lips stretched into a smile, a stark contrast with his teeth. "And if it doesn't work out then you can put her back together again like a puzzle. What delightful fun!"

Seeing Law's thunderous scowl, Monet added, "Aerodynamically speaking, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly but it does so anyway. If an insect like that can perform a miracle then I can as well."

"If you insist." Law studied the bird. "You'll need its wings for flight and its tail feathers for balance and manoeuvrability."

"And its legs," Monet added. "If I won't have hands then I need another set of weapons."

Law unsheathed Kikoku. When he neared the cage, the owl raised its feathers and spread its wings, beating them to appear larger and more frightening. The façade meant nothing to Law and he cut the bars on the cage.

"Room."

A blue field surrounded them and the owl dove towards Law. It pulled back at the last second and lashed out with its talons, aiming for the eyes. Law jerked his head, almost too late, and the sound of keratin claws scratching the gold hoops in his ear sent a metallic shrill through his brain.

Law's left hand shot out and seized the bird's leg. The owl screeched and beat Law's head with its wings, sending his hat flying. Law brought Kikoku down on the bird's joints and separated its legs from its body. Moving quickly, he discarded the legs into the air, grabbed the bird's wings and made three more cuts to take off the wings and the tail.

The owl continued thrashing and when Law finished, he sent it to the back of the cage where it did nothing but roll around pathetically.

Monet stood with her feet apart and arms held out. Law used his power to lift her up and wasted no time in cutting off her arms at the shoulders, her legs below the knees and making an incision on her lower back. Strangely enough, Monet didn't look nauseated at the sight of her floating arms and legs like most people did. Instead, she had the look of morbid fascination like a child.

Caesar grabbed one of Monet's hands and flung her arm around in circles. "This never gets old!" he cackled.

"Master, that arm may not be mine anymore but I'll still ask you to respect it." Monet frowned. "We respect those who donate to science. It's a matter of ethics."

"Ah, yes, yes. You're right, my dear secretary." Caesar gathered the rest of Monet's limbs and handed them to a subordinate. "Take these to the museum in Building D. Make sure you label them correctly."

"Yes, Master!" The man eagerly took the wriggling limbs and scampered off.

Now that the fuss was over, Law resheathed Kikoku and used his hands to finish the operation. He brought the owl's appendages to Monet's body and the seams meshed together like they had never been cut. A sneer split Monet's face and for a moment she looked the part of a murderous harpy.

Law retrieved his hat and let his Room dissociate. Without his support, Monet wobbled and staggered one step. Her forehead creased in concentration and she managed another. But unused to the frail bird legs, she tumbled. She tried pushing herself up with her wings but as they were delicate and not made for bearing weight, she only scrabbled on the floor in a mess of feathers.

"Most of the men took three days to get used to their limbs. Since yours are frailer, you'll take longer. A week, perhaps."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Monet gave a strained smile. "Now there's the matter of payment. Which do you choose?"

"None of them." Law could easily obtain money, drugs and books. In the end, there wasn't a single thing he wanted from her so he decided to take nothing. For now. "You can owe me a favour. I'll call you in on it when the time comes."

"Isn't this a bad situation you've gotten yourself into, Monet? You better not make her do anything funny Trafalgar!" Caesar slapped his thigh and cracked up laughing.

What an idiot.

Law made for the door and his guards followed his trail. He stopped, fighting the urge to slice them up and turned to Caesar again. "How much longer are you going to have me followed? It's a nuisance."

"For as long as you're a threat." Caesar twisted his lips and made an exaggerated thinking face. "I suppose if you're not keen on being babysat, we can make alternate arrangements. Let's be honest, Trafalgar. I can't trust you. You're more powerful than all of us put together and hold more leverage as a War Lord."

"What do you want?"

"A physical guarantee you won't betray me. Give me your heart and in return, you may take Monet's." Caesar paused and waved at his secretary. "Is that all right, Monet?"

She looked up from the floor, where she'd managed to sit up with her limbs in awkward disarray. "Yes, Master. That's fine."

Caesar gave a wicked grin. "What do you say, Trafalgar?"

That was normally a risk Law wouldn't take. But he couldn't refuse at this point and taking his heart back from someone like Caesar was an easy feat. "I'm not against the idea."

Law created another Room and curled his fingers into a half-fist.

"How are you going to—" Monet began.

Law lunged and slammed his hand into her chest. "Mes!"

Her heart flew out from her back and onto the floor, beating in a transparent cube. Monet choked, her eyes rolled back and then she lost consciousness.

"My, my," Caesar murmured. He rubbed his chin and inspected his secretary, whose face was covered in a sheen of sweat. "That's an interesting side-effect."

Law turned his hand onto himself. He'd cut off his own limbs for experimentation but he'd never removed his heart before. He readied himself, then pushed at his own chest. His fingers dug into his skin like a hot knife. Pain exploded and stole the breath from his lungs. Law gasped for air but the pain took over and he blacked out.

* * *

Law woke alone.

Monet's heart lay on the floor next to him and his was nowhere to be found. It was probably in Caesar's grimy hands, hidden somewhere deep within the confines of the facility. Law held a hand over his chest. Even though there was a hole where his heart should be, he could feel it beating and pumping blood through his body.

He picked up Monet's heart, handling it with care so as not to crush it. He didn't want to give Caesar any ideas.

There were no guards nearby and Law exhaled, letting some of the tension in his shoulders unwind. If they had continued to pester him, chances were he would have cut them up despite his better judgement.

Law returned to the abandoned study that was now his room. Now that he was well and truly alone, he took out his baby den-den mushi. The snail yawned and looked at him with bleary eyes, but ready to work. Law dialled and waited for his call to connect.

Someone picked up in four rings.

_"Heart Pirates. Jean Bart speaking."_

Hearing a familiar voice swept away the last of Law's tension. He sank into one of the high-backed chairs and rolled his shoulders to work out the kinks in his tightly coiled muscles.

_"Hello?"_

"Hello, Jean Bart." Law heard an intake of breath on the other side. "Infiltration successful."

Stunned silence greeted this announcement. Then whoops and cheers burst through the den-den mushi's mouth. It sounded like everyone was crowded together and shouting at the same time.

_"We knew you could do it, Captain!"_

_"We weren't worried at all!"_

Perhaps they weren't, but Law was concerned about how they were managing. He'd been having nasty thoughts about the kitchen burning down or a gaping hole in the side of the submarine. Sometimes, Penguin and Shachi went overboard when they sparred. Then again, they didn't go as overboard as he tended to. "How are things over there?"

_"Good."_ Penguin's voice came over the den-den mushi. _"Some of us were a bit depressed because you're not here. Bepo wanted to plant flowers on deck to cheer everyone up but you know, we're a sub and the flowers would die. Then Bepo got super depressed so I relented and now we've got an indoor nursery."_

"What about the heat?" Law didn't want to rain on their fun but this was a point they had to consider before everyone became too attached to the flowers. "If you go underwater the flowers would die of heat stress anyway."

_"Shachi bought Bepo a large fan. It'll be cool enough. Hopefully. Anyway, wait a sec and I'll call them over. They're watering the flowers now."_

Law was about to answer when he heard a thump and a hiss on the other side of the door.

_Someone was listening in._

Law let out a string of swearwords.

_"Captain? What's going on?"_

"I'll call you back." Law stuffed the den-den mushi back into his coat, grabbed his nodaichi and yanked the door open.

A shadow flickered to his left and Law pelted after it. He followed the turns of the corridors and twists of the staircases. They winded higher and higher and several times, Law thought the person was in reach only to watch the shadow dart down another path. As soon as he thought he'd caught up, the shadow surged ahead and never let him catch more than a glimpse.

"Hey, you!"

Law spun around, Kikoku half unsheathed. But there was no-one behind him.

"What are you doing out of bed again?"

Law relaxed his stance. The voices came from further ahead.

"Don't give us those excuses. Rules are rules and you have to obey them. Come on, we'll take you back."

Law drew a mental map. This was the third floor of Building B, a part of the facility Monet forbade him to go near. There had been an entire list of places he couldn't enter, not that it would stop him.

"Here you go. Don't sneak out again, okay?"

When the guards left, Law took a look around. A white sign that read 'Biscuit Room' hung above massive doors. It sounded like a tea room, something too warm and inviting for a place as cold as this. Law held one hand flat against the door, then pushed it open, ready to cut the eavesdropper in half.

But there were dozens of eyes staring at him. Brown, blue, green, a whole array of colours from a whole array of children.

"That's gotta be him!" A giant child, at least ten times taller than Law, pointed. "The guards said he wore a fluffy hat!"

Squeals of delight bounced into the corridor. Law hurriedly stepped inside and closed the door before they alerted anyone.

"You're the pirate guy who gave everyone animal legs." A blond girl laughed and clapped her hands. "That's so cool! Everyone's really happy about it."

Little hands tugged at his coat and tapped on Kikoku's sheath. Big hands reached down to stroke his hat.

"Ooh! It's as soft as it looks."

"It feels like a kitty cat!"

"What's with the look on his face?"

"Hey mister, what's your name?"

It took far too long for Law to gather his thoughts. When he did, he raised a hand for silence. "My name is Trafalgar Law."

"Torafalla…"

"Trafalafa…"

"Traffala…"

The children tangled their tongues trying to pronounce his name and Law nearly smacked his head against the wall. When he finally collected himself, he said, "Yes, that's my name. Now, will one of you be so kind as to tell me why there are children on an island as dangerous as this?"

"We're getting better." A giant girl squatted next to Law and gave a shy smile. "We're sick and the master's helping us get better."

And for some reason, Law found that hard to swallow. "How long has Caesar been treating you?"

The children gave each other questioning looks. Law folded his arms and seeing his displeasure, one boy blurted, "Different times. I've been here for a few months."

"A few years," one of the giant children added.

"Do you all have the same type of disease?"

The children shrugged.

Right.

It wasn't like Caesar would tell them the specifics of their condition, if they were indeed ill. They were more likely to be guinea pigs. Law saw the opportunity to gather more information and he took it. "What kind of medicine does—"

A child yelped.

She'd been standing in front of the door when it moved and hit her back. "O-Ow," she cried.

"Hey, what's with the weight against the door? Who's blocking it?"

Law narrowed his eyes. Could he knock the guards out before they realised he was here?

The giant girl who had answered Law saw his dilemma and nudged him behind her back. A tag peeping out from the back of her dress read 'Mocha'.

"Come on, move it!"

The children scrambled out of the way and two men in their biohazard suits came in with their hands on their hips. "What's with all the noise, kids? You should be in bed at this time."

A round of mumbled apologies came from the children.

"Go back to sleep. Any more mucking around and we'll have to tell the master. We don't want that, do we? After all, he might not give you candy anymore."

Horrified gasps filled the room and Law almost loosed a snort.

After the guards made sure everyone was settled down, they left with a kind goodnight. Mocha lay on her side and whispered to Law. "Are you going to visit us again, Mister Pirate Guy?"

"I don't think so."

"You should." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "We never get to play with anyone else."

"Mmm." Law scanned the forms of the sleeping children. "Listen, Miss Mocha. One of your friends was ushered in here minutes before I came in. Where is that child?"

"Huh?" Mocha's eyelashes fluttered with sleep. "I don't know. Some of them were looking for you because they thought you were cool."

She nodded off soon afterwards. Law waited until the room was silent, save for the gentle breaths that wisped from the children's throats. He stepped around them and headed for his room again.

He reached for the doorknob, then withdrew and turned around. "I know you're following me."

Silence.

Then a small, waif-like girl emerged from the shadows. Her skin looked sickly yellow under the awful lighting and her off-white dress didn't make her look any more of a human. She stared up at him with her fist held to her lips.

Law had been certain all the children were asleep when he left the Biscuit Room, just like the time he'd been certain all his crew were asleep when he left the submarine. His skills must be getting rusty.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

She stumbled backwards in her oversized shoes and ran behind the corner, peeking out with large and fearful eyes through a net of messy brown hair. "You're…" she whispered, "Traffy."

What?

"Traffy," she said again, more clearly.

"My name is not…" Law bit back his frustration. She couldn't pronounce it anyway, so why did it matter? "What's your name then, young miss?"

"Ria."

"It's dangerous to stalk a pirate, Miss Ria, and talking to them is even worse. Your carelessness will land you in trouble one day." Law gestured back to the direction they had come from. "You should get back to bed or you won't be getting candy."

But instead of going backwards, Ria inched forwards. When she stood less than a stride away from him, she bit her lip.

"Traffy is a pirate spy."

* * *

**A.N.**

I was floored when I opened my email two weeks ago and saw it flooded. I had no idea so many of you would follow and favourite _Captain's Promise_. You guys are awesome!

So now Law's in Punk Hazard and his secret has been found out by a little girl named Ria. Uh-oh! Does anyone have any thoughts as to what might happen next? I'd love to know what you think!

If you liked it, please review! If you didn't, that's all right because I can take constructive criticism. In fact, I welcome it!


	3. Chapter 3

**We Will**

Chapter Three

* * *

Law leaned against the desk in his room and watched the little girl trying to get comfortable on the sofa. She shifted left and right, trying to stop herself from sinking into the cushions. After a minute or two of wriggling about, she gave up and let the sofa swallow her up.

The fact that Ria knew his secret didn't faze Law at all. It'd been his intention to silence the one who'd overheard his conversation on the den-den mushi but a child was a different matter. She had the potential to unknowingly provide him with a wealth of information that would otherwise take him weeks to gather.

The question was, how should Law go about getting this information?

He excelled in creating the best deals for himself, or slicing up the other party if they refused his demands. But he had no idea how to start a conversation with a child of seven or eight years old. Law had an inkling of an idea, as he'd been seven or eight years old once, but his mental capacity at that age was probably double hers.

The silence stretched out.

Ria fiddled with loose thread on the hem of her dress. She tugged on it a few times and finally said, "Are you a bad man?"

Law blinked out of his thoughts and met her large, wary eyes. They hadn't stopped flicking between his nodaichi or his stony expression since she agreed to talk to him. "I'd tell you to decide for yourself but it seems you've made up your mind. You're afraid of me."

"I'm not scared."

"You shouldn't tell lies."

"I'm not," Ria insisted. "You're a pirate but you weren't mean to us. Lots of people say pirates are bad, but you can't be that bad if you help other people."

"I didn't give the guards new legs because I'm nice. I did it because I received something in return."

"You still helped them. And you're helping your friends too."

"My friends?"

"I was hiding in the pipes when you first came. You told Miss Monet you killed your friends. You were lying, right?"

After Law and Caesar settled the conditions of their deal, Monet offered the Heart Pirates a place to rest and recuperate. When asked of their whereabouts, Law replied, "Weren't you listening when I said I gave the World Government one hundred pirate hearts?"

It'd been too easy to fool Caesar and Monet. But not this child, apparently.

"How astute you are, Miss Ria," Law said. "Miss Monet obviously doesn't understand sarcasm like you do. Now, I have questions of my own to ask. Tell me about the treatment you undergo. What kind of medicine does Caesar give you?"

Ria pulled a face. "Syrups. They taste bad though. Like bitter cherries."

"Anything else?"

"Um… needles." Ria stuck her arms out and showed him the creases of her elbows where colours ranging from blue to green to yellow blotched her skin. "They do it on our bellies too. I don't like it much. I get headaches and feel dizzy, so they don't give me as many needles now. Sometimes they also use these really big things to take skin and stuff off our backs."

Tissue samples?

Law leaned and reached for her neck. Ria brought her arms up in defence and huddled into the cushions with a hiss. Law stopped.

"May I take a look?"

Ria stared at him through the gaps in her arms and when she gave a small nod, Law reached around her neck and pulled down the back of her collar.

He'd seen the scarring pattern before, when he trained as a doctor under Doflamingo. But these ones were far more serious than the ones he left on his own patients. Whoever took tissue samples from Ria's back had done a careless job of it. Law had worked with greater precision than the clumsy fool even at the age of sixteen.

After a quick examination, Law pulled her collar back up and withdrew to the desk again. "It must have hurt."

"It was okay." Ria pushed her fingers to her mouth, muffling her words. "Everyone tries to be nice and if we don't cry then we get candy afterwards. My friend won't eat his so I get to eat it as well."

"Good for you."

Shachi's information network hadn't mentioned anything about children, injections or tissue samples, so it was safe to assume they had nothing to do with Caesar's production of SAD.

Ria continued rambling. "He doesn't like it when I call him that. He gets sulky but I don't care. We're all sticking together so he's still our friend. What about you? What are your friends like?"

"I don't have friends. I have a crew."

"Then what's your crew like? Do they do pirate-y things like singing and dancing?"

"They do too much of it."

"Do they fight with swords?"

"Some of them do. Most fight hand-to-hand."

"You mean with no weapons?"

"Yeah."

Ria swung her legs back and forth, eyes fixed on the ground. "Do you miss them?"

"Haven't you asked enough questions?"

"I wanna know though. You're like us—you're away from the people you like." Ria's right shoe slipped off and she dangled it on her toes. "I miss my friends and my family. I want to go home and see everyone again. Everyone wants to go home. We keep asking Master and Miss Monet but they always say no because they think we're too sick. We feel fine though."

Given Caesar's crazy antics, Law had no trouble believing the children were in perfect health and were nothing more than test subjects.

"Traffy." Ria's voice was so low Law almost missed her next words. "Can you take us back?"

One breath. Two breaths.

"No. I have no obligation to save you."

Ria scrunched up her dress and her cheeks tinged scarlet. "Why not? You're a grown-up. Grown-ups are supposed to help us!"

"I don't help people unless there's profit."

"I'll tell the master you're a spy."

"What makes you think I won't kill you first?" Law tapped Kikoku. "I can behead you before you take two steps towards the door."

Ria glared and jutted her chin out. "Because I told my friend I was looking for you. And I told him if I don't come back then he has to tell the master."

So she wasn't as simple-minded as Law thought she was.

"It makes no difference either way. My crew can sail from Zo to Punk Hazard in a matter of weeks but what good will that do when the submarine can't house all you children, least of all the giants?" A sadistic smirk crossed Law's face. "On the other hand, I could let you, and you alone, to come on board. You can save yourself. How does that sound?"

Ria brought her hand to her mouth again and this time, Law saw the flash of white teeth gnawing on the skin between her thumb and wrist. Both of her hands were swollen, bruised and covered in bite marks. Law attributed this to high levels of stress and bad habits. She'd have to manage her anxieties in a different manner before she chewed off her hands.

"No." Ria removed her hand from her mouth. "We're all leaving together. That's what we decided."

She showed impressive resolve, but that resolve didn't mean anything when there was no way out of her predicament.

"You can't escape," Law said. "Guards surround the grounds but I'll give you benefit of doubt. Assuming you manage to bypass them, you won't last a second against the elements without proper clothing. But let's say you came across the necessary gear to survive the weather. You'd lose your fingers and toes due to frostbite, and become disfigured through third degree burns from fire and lava. If you live through that, you'd need a ship to get off the island, which is impossible because no-one willingly comes near this place unless they're prepared to die. You're not escaping by anything short of a miracle."

"We'll find a way to get home," Ria snapped. Her anger was more amusing than alarming and Law compressed a smile so as not to agitate her further. "We'll do it. It'll happen if we wish hard enough."

A harsh laugh tore itself from Law's throat.

What a naïve outlook on the world and the people that lived on it, to think pirates were good people and that wishes came true. Experience told Law that pirates were one of the cruellest monsters on the seas and wishes weren't granted by genies. Anything that anyone wanted had to be earned and the higher the value, the higher the price. If something warranted wishing, it warranted blood, sweat and tears.

Law smothered his laughter and pulled off his hat by the bill. "Something like that has no basis in logic or reasoning. It's a foolish way to think."

"No, it's not. You think you're smarter than me but you're not. I know we can get out of here."

"If you insist," Law snickered.

Ria shot him a dirty look. "Everyone thinks you're cool but you're just a stupid idiot."

"I couldn't care less what you think about me."

"You can't visit us in the Biscuit Room again. Mocha and everyone would be too sad if you told them you wouldn't save them. So don't visit."

Ria jumped off the sofa and started for the door, shuffling in her oversized shoes. Law slammed his nodaichi into the ground, blocking her way.

"Where do you think you're going?" Law coldly asked. He uncrossed his legs and stood in front of her. "I can't let you leave when you know my secret."

Ria bared her pointy white fangs and crouched—

_Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang._

"HWOOOOOOOOOH!"

Law and Ria spun to face the roof where the yell originated. A mess of coloured cloth shot through the air vent and the two of them jumped back, coughing in the cloud of dust that flew up. Ria hissed at the intruder who landed in a mess of dirt and grime.

The figure on the floor groaned and untangled themselves from the mess of arms and legs to become a short boy in a pink kimono. He stood in between Law and Ria and shouted, "Pirate filth! Keep your hands off innocents!"

"Momonosuke? W-What are you…" Ria stammered, hand over her chest. Then her eyes narrowed, she clenched her jaw and began slapping him around the knot on his head. "Idiot Momonosuke! You were supposed to stay up there!"

"I refuse to stand by while he threatens you." The boy grabbed her arm, ran for the door and jerked on the handle. It rattled up and down but the latch didn't give way. "He locked it!"

Ria stood on her tip-toes, hands waving in the air and fingers curling to try and grab the handle but she was too short to reach the doorknob, let alone the lock.

"Ria, get on my shoulders and open the door."

"You'll look up my dress!"

"Huh? N-No I won't!"

Law brushed the dust from his shoulders, taking his time to summarise everything that had just happened. He'd been caught infiltrating a secret research facility. The one who caught him was a child. The child's friend crashed through the air vent and insulted him in a show of bravery. Now they were too short to escape.

The Grand Line was strange, the New World was stranger but Punk Hazard took first place for ridiculousness.

"Now we're both stuck in here, you moose!"

"You should not have followed him, worms for brains!"

"I'd be safe if you'd stuck to the plan!"

Momonosuke's grand entrance was likely to have been noticed by the guards—air vents were notoriously noisy, and their shouting match increasingly escalated until their shrieks reverberated through the room. The walls were thick, but they weren't soundproof.

Law took three steps across the floor and hauled Momonosuke up by the back of his kimono. The boy yelped and the volume of his cries diminished. Law listened for the sound of running footsteps but heard nothing. Yet.

He shook the boy. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a conversation?"

"Unhand me, pirate filth! How dare you show such disrespect to a samurai of Wano Country!"

Law held the thrashing boy at arm's length and addressed Ria. "If this is the friend you're talking about, then things aren't looking too good for you, are they?"

"Attack him!" Momonosuke yelled. "Kick him between the legs and we'll escape!"

"Be quiet." Law released his grip and the boy thudded to the floor. "Fortunately for you, I don't make a habit of cutting up bothersome children, though it's something to put into consideration."

Ria cautiously stepped forward and helped her friend to his feet. They backed away to the door, hunching together with their teeth showing and ready to bite him bloody.

"I don't care if you tell Caesar I'm a pirate spy. He has no reason to believe or trust children. He'll think you're making up tall tales to satisfy your boredom." Law reached over their heads, flicked the lock and opened the door. "Miss Ria, I'll make a deal with you. I won't go back to the Biscuit Room if you won't disturb me again. You're a nuisance."

Ria stuck her tongue out. "I hope the master kicks your butt!"

Law jabbed them in the back with his nodaichi and threw them outside. The children ran down the corridor back to the Biscuit Room and when they were gone, Law shut the door and fell into the sofa. The strain of losing his heart hadn't fully worn off and although he hated to admit it, he needed to rest.

Law raised his hand to the light, inspecting the strand of brown hair he'd plucked from Ria's head when he reached out to unlock the door. This was the sort of information he was looking for. He placed it in between the front covers of a book and retrieved his den-den mushi, dialling his crew once more.

"_Heart Pirates. Penguin speaking."_

"It's me."

"_Captain!"_ Relief saturated Penguin's voice. _"What happened earlier?"_

"False alarm. It was just a child trying to find her way home."

"_There's a child on Punk Hazard? You're joking, right?"_

Had Penguin ever heard him crack a joke? "There are _children_ on Punk Hazard," Law corrected.

"_Under Caesar Clown's care?"_

"Correct. I don't think it has anything to do with Doflamingo, so it's best not to interfere. But extra information won't hurt. I want Shachi to investigate this. Tell him to talk to his contacts about missing children, ages zero to ten. Inquire about the transport of giant children in particular. That's the most promising lead."

"_I'll let him know. He's training outside right now."_

"What about Bepo?" Law ran his fingers over the fur of his hat.

"_He fell asleep about ten minutes ago. Do you want me to wake him up?"_ Penguin asked. _"He was pretty upset he didn't get the chance to talk to you earlier. I think he'll be even more depressed when he finds out he missed your call again."_

"Don't bother. I'll call again soon."

The crew made a game out of waking Bepo up and had so far failed miserably. There was that one time Shachi claimed he saw a female bear, and Bepo roused long enough to ascertain it was a lie before going back to sleep. No-one counted it as a victory.

"I have more opportunities to do so now."

"_All right. Just be careful. I don't like the sound of what's going on over there. I mean, children? That's ringing a bit close to home."_

"I don't know what Caesar does to them but they seem happy enough."

"_How happy can they be if they want to go home?"_ Penguin asked. _"You know better than anyone else what it's like to be trapped in a place you don't want to be. It's not… right."_

"Let's not go there."

Penguin ignored the bite in Law's voice and pressed on.

"_It's not something we can ignore. What if Caesar talks to Doflamingo and draws a parallel between what happened to you and what's happening to the children? Don't take this so lightly. Caesar is just as dangerous as any other opponent we've faced. He can't have any advantages over you."_

Law decided to keep silent about his heart. "Caesar is an idiot. The only reason he's not dead yet is because Doflamingo's protecting him, and I'm ready to face Doflamingo."

Penguin sighed. _"Yeah."_

"What's the matter? You were begging me to leave Paradise and now it sounds like you want to drag me back."

"_You know I'll follow you to the ends of the seas. But taking on Doflamingo isn't something I'm too fond of. I'll be frank, Law. The man still scares me."_

Law opened his mouth to respond, then Penguin's words clicked and his words died in his throat.

Penguin called him Law.

When was the last time Penguin called him Law?

"_The things he did… they come back to me sometimes. I'm terrified if he catches you, he'll do it again and I don't think I can live through it."_

"Stop." The words came out colder than Law expected but it successfully cut Penguin off. Law knew his first mate would work himself into anxiety and he didn't need the risk of him getting worked up about it either. "We said we wouldn't talk about that again."

Law's hand strayed to his chest. He knew where each of his scars were, how deep they were and how each one had been inflicted. The memories left physical marks on his body, or maybe it was the other way around, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not eradicate it completely.

"We will destroy Doflamingo."

The memories were too ugly to look back on and when they were younger, Law vowed to obliterate them because it made him ugly too. So he covered them up by making his own mark upon it.

"We will win."

He would pave over the ugliest parts of himself as he took down the Four Emperors.

"We will take our place on the top of the world."

* * *

**A.N.**

As I was writing, I found myself wanting to do a thing. If anyone's interested, I've inserted a movie reference in the _next_ chapter and the first three people to correctly say:

(1) which movie it came from and

(2) which characters said it

can ask for an interaction between certain characters or a certain event happening, and I'll write it into the story (just keep it K-rated).

You lovely people are the reason this story exists and I want to give something back to show how much I appreciate you taking the time to read it.

I'll post the next chapter up on September 29th at 10pm- that's the GMT+10 timezone. I hope you'll have as much fun looking for the movie reference as I did writing it!

I'd be super grateful if you could leave a review :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Ashes to Ashes**

Chapter Four

* * *

The piece of paper slid out of the printer and fell into Law's waiting hand. He'd been waiting for the chance to sneak into one of the main laboratories in Building B and run Ria's strand of hair through a series of tests to determine what sorts of drugs Caesar administered. Every other attempt had been spoiled by subordinates looking for him to fulfil Caesar's ludicrous demands.

Law's practiced eyes ran over the facts and figures. The first thing that jumped out at him was Ria's cortisol level—it spiked high above the norm, supporting Law's observation that she was stressed. The next thing to catch his eye was a foreign compound he'd never heard of before.

Apparently, the machine which analysed the hair was familiar with the compound and identified it as NHC10.

Law folded the results in half, stuffed it in his coat next to Bepo's map and walked out of the laboratory. The two guards at the end of the corridor didn't notice his appearance and nodded as he walked past. Their laxness would cost them dearly one day.

"Where is Mister Caesar?" Law asked.

"Err, I think he's having lunch," one of them said.

Right on schedule. The deranged scientist never missed the chance to pig out on whatever meal Monet prepared for him, and usually left his laboratory empty but locked and guarded—not that it was a problem for Law. He could slip past them easily enough to get to Caesar's notes.

He gave stiff thanks and made a point to walk towards the kitchen. When he rounded the corner, he waited until the guards' footsteps faded before rounding back and heading towards Caesar's personal laboratory in Building C.

Law didn't get as far as he would have liked.

"Help! Emergency! Somebody get a doctor!"

The shouts came from the main entrance of Building B. Guards spilled out of the corridors gripping their rifles and pushed past Law, sprinting towards the source of the noise. Law pulled his hat low over his eyes. Would it look too suspicious if he walked the other way?

"Oi, Trafaalaar!"

Well, it would now.

Law reluctantly turned around. "Mister Caesar. Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to talk with your mouth full?"

Caesar swallowed the pumpkin pie churning in his mouth and brushed the crumbs from his chin with the back of his gloved hand. He pointed to the group of men who had just staggered in from the blistering cold, carrying wounded guards who now lay on their sides, bloody and groaning. "What's going on?"

"An intruder." A large, orange-haired man with crocodile legs gently set four of his injured friends on the ground. Law recalled seeing the man's face on a bounty poster before—he'd been a pirate known as Brownbeard years ago. "I sent a few of my men to check out a disturbance and I found them like this."

Monet flapped past them carrying a first aid kit in her talons. She settled on the ground and began overseeing treatment, passing bottles of water, rolls of bandages and antibiotic cream around. But the guards weren't trained in first aid and they fumbled with the delicate procedure. Bottles clattered to the floor and bandages slipped from their grips.

Monet sighed and began patching up the men with minor injuries while the severely injured were carted to the infirmary. She picked up a cotton ball and dabbed alcohol on the lacerations with her wings. She'd taken her new abilities further than Law thought possible—he didn't expect feathers to be prehensile enough to replace the function of hands—but Monet's determination exceeded logic.

"Their hair and skin are singed." She grabbed a bottle and squeezed water over the horrific red marks.

The sickeningly sweet smell of burned flesh mixed with the smell of alcohol and the weaker stomached ones slapped a hand over their mouths to stop the retching. Caesar reached out and patted their heads like they were dogs.

"Oh, my poor subordinates! You have gone through such a trying ordeal and I feel terrible for putting you in harm's way. This is my fault, all my fault. No, don't argue with me! The guilt in my stomach is burning me alive and I must right this wrong for your sakes. The monster won't be allowed to cut you down anymore. Oi, Trafalgar!"

Law glared. Of course the scientist would leave the dirty work to others.

"Stop the intruder before he reaches the institute. Show them how hospitable we are on Punk Hazard."

They were pathetic, the whole lot of them, unable to handle a task as simple as disposing of one intruder. Over a dozen of them and they all turned tail at the first sign of danger. These men were supposed to be the fearsome prisoners that were locked up as experimental aids?

No wonder they couldn't hack it in the New World.

"Fine."

* * *

The wind simultaneously seared and numbed his skin. Law zipped his collar all the way to the top and shoved his hands in his pockets, locking Kikoku through his left arm. He kept his eyes on his feet, which may not have been wise, but the snow whirling around him limited almost all visibility.

It wasn't hard to work out which direction he was heading anyway—Brownbeard confirmed that the intruder was near the lake and the farther Law walked, the stronger the wind blew. The temperature differences between the Ice Lands and the Burning Lands led to extreme differences in air pressure, causing gale-force winds. If Law weighed any less, he'd have been blown away already.

"Kidnapper!"

The silver gleam of a sword flashed through the air. Law ducked, blade whistling next to his ear, and he lashed out with his foot and connected with a chin.

The intruder reeled back, a vague silhouette, but his bright orange gi stood out against the stark white background. Law hooked his ankle behind the man's and swept Kikoku, sheath and all, into the man's belly and sent him down. Snow flew all around them. The man's body snapped up from the impact and he gave a weak groan.

Law lifted a hand. "Room."

The blue field enveloped them and the man's black-rimmed eyes widened. "What ninjutsu is this?" he croaked.

Law raised an eyebrow. Wasn't the man familiar with Devil Fruits? "It's not ninjutsu."

"Then it is sorcery!"

The man sprang up and roared. His head, shoulders and chest loomed above Law and he slashed again.

Fire sparked from his sword and leapt towards Law. Law dove sideways and the flames licked the hem of his coat. He rolled onto his knees and slammed his hand over the hem, smothering the fire into nothing. The snow underneath hissed and steam rose from his hand.

The man brandished his sword. "There are many people on this island and none have given the information I seek. So I ask you: have you seen my son?"

Law fingered the scorched hem. Slowly, he rose. "Yes."

Kikoku flew into his hand and he swung it in three arcs. The impacts soared through the Room and cut through the man, who fell into the snow separated into a head, a torso and a pair of legs.

"What sorcery is this!" The head yelled and rolled around while the limbs thrashed about. "I have surely been cut in a fatal manner. Why am I not dead? This is a disgrace! Hand me my knife and I shall cut my belly open!"

With a twitch of Law's fingers, the man's head and legs disappeared to another part of the island. As far as he'd flung them, it wasn't far enough. The man's incessant bellows echoed within the mountains, threatening and promising murder once he found his son.

Law picked up the torso by the collar. There was a chance the man could find all the pieces of his body and piece himself together again. Since that wasn't an option, Law had two choices: kill the man or trap him. Even though he was a pirate, Law found murder distasteful. After all, he was also a doctor and doctors weren't supposed to kill their patients.

It was possible the man had some sort of Devil Fruit ability—that was one explanation for his fiery sword techniques. The best way to deal with this intruder, Law concluded, was to immobilise him by throwing him in the lake he'd recently crossed. It didn't matter if he wasn't a Devil Fruit user—he'd sink either way.

Law began the trek to the lake's edge. The arms struggled but Law's hold was firm and he gripped the cloth tighter, fighting the urge to beat the torso into submission.

A father saving his son.

Family members helping each other out.

What a novel concept.

Law held a hand over the hole where his heart should be and winced. The hollow anger gave way to pain that stabbed through his chest and stopped him in his tracks. What was going on? The incline to the lake wasn't high—he was in better condition than that. There were no ill effects on patients after heart removal, he knew that much. Law had spent thousands of hours of his childhood practising on Doflamingo's victims.

The pain spread like acid. Law fell to his knees, dropping the torso, and clawed at his chest, the pain stealing the breath from his lungs. He gasped for air, inhaling snowflakes that burned his nose and throat.

Law screamed.

He threw his face into the snow, muffling the sound of weakness. A cough hacked its way out of his throat and blood came with it, splattering on the snow before seeping into the whiteness. Red blotched his vision and its metallic aftertaste lingered on his tongue.

Law pushed himself up on all fours and panted, scanning his surroundings. But another bolt of pain seized him and he went down screaming again.

* * *

Shachi pushed open the submarine's kitchen door and limped inside with one hand clamped over his ribs. He looked around for a head of spiky black hair pushed back with a headband.

"Ban. Hey, Ban."

The cook turned around from the stove, took one look at Shachi's torn uniform and askew sunglasses, and motioned for him to sit at the bench.

"Penguin beat you again?"

"Through a tree."

Ban ransacked the freezer and pulled out a bag of peas. Shachi held out his hand for it, but Ban ignored him and slapped the bag over his ribs. Pain flared where Penguin kicked him. Shachi hissed.

"How many losses is that now?"

"Dunno, I've lost count."

Shachi had been sparring against Penguin ever since he joined the Heart Pirates as the fourth member. He'd never won a single round even after all the training he undertook during their time in Paradise. Almost a year and a half of pushing himself past his limits and refusing to take it easy because he wanted to be useful. But all his efforts amounted to nothing.

He was the weakest of out the captain's trio of guards. Everyone else was too nice to call him out on it but Shachi knew he lacked strength after the Rocky Port incident where he fell into the enemy's trap and almost died. Captain nearly lost everything trying to save him. Even at the most critical point, he was nothing but a burden.

Shachi gripped the peas. The tattoos on his forearms bulged and he gave a _tch_. They symbolised his association with The Surgeon of Death and he'd been so proud when he got them done. But all he felt now was disgust. He didn't deserve to wear such a mark.

Ban slapped his back, making the pain flare up, and Shachi sharply drew breath.

"Stop whacking me!"

"It's on your back."

"What?"

"Your good points." Ban picked up his chopping knife and began dicing potatoes. "They're on your back so you can't see them. But I can. And so can everyone else. You're not weak, Shachi, no matter what you believe. You've got strengths the rest of us don't."

"What are you, a mind reader?"

"Captain wouldn't have invited you on board unless he thought you were capable. I mean, he went to Punk Hazard alone based on the information _you_ sourced. He trusts your abilities. You should trust his judgement."

Shachi sighed. He relaxed his grip on the peas and gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, when you put it that way…"

Ban waved the knife at him. "If you're done moping then get out of my kitchen. Go talk to your contact so you'll have good news to report when Captain calls again."

Shachi obeyed and went down to the control room where Bepo worked. The polar bear had become a lot quieter since Captain left. He often tended to the flowers in the nursery, but spent most of his time with a dunpy and stadia to survey the land or with parchment and ink drawing maps of the New World, Zo in particular.

They all had their ways of coping with Captain's absence.

Shachi sat at the controls and picked up the den-den mushi, dialling his contact's number. He'd passed on Captain's request for information on the children in Punk Hazard and now waited for answers. When she'd gotten the call, she asked for three weeks. But she worked faster than that_—_Shachi was calling after one and a half weeks.

_Purupurupurupurupuru…_

Click.

"_Hello?"_

"It's me."

Her shriek tore through the snail's mouth and pierced his ears. A crash sounded behind him and Shachi swivelled around to see Bepo's look of horror at the spreading ink stain on the map he'd toiled over for hours.

"Sorry, Bepo." Shachi winced. "I should've warned you I was calling my sister."

"_Bepo? Is he there? Hi Bepo!"_

"Hello, Iruka," Bepo mumbled. He gathered his materials and slunk out of the room.

"_Ooh, is Pengsie there? I wanna talk to him. C'mon, Shach. Call him over. I know he's there."_

Shachi dug his fingertips into his temple. His sister had a large mouth—one that Captain often said was similar to his. "Shut up for a minute, Iruka. Did you get the information I asked for?"

"_Spoilsport. I only wanna talk to your friends."_

"Iruka."

"_Yes. No."_

"What's that even mean?"

"_Yes, my impatient big brother, I will answer your question. No, my impatient big brother, I don't have the information you want."_

"You're an information broker."

"_And there's no information out there concerning the transportation of giant children. No such thing exists. The only ships big enough to carry several of them and leave no traces of suspicion would be the giants' ships, and they don't let their children sail from their homeland until they're of age."_

Shachi pondered this information. "Do you think the giant children could've been raised in Punk Hazard?"

"_I don't deal in assumptions, dummy. But if you want me to guess, I'd say no. Even Joker can't risk the giants' wrath by kidnapping their children. There'd be hell to pay and not even he's got enough wealth for that."_

Shachi shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Captain will figure it out. He always does."

"_Yes. Yes, he will."_

A shudder made its way down Shachi's spine. Iruka had been smitten with Captain the second she laid eyes on him. She often cooed over his stoic demeanour, his strength and his sarcastic smirk—things Shachi and his friends often cooed about, but for his sister to do the same was slightly creepy.

"_As for the children—there are thousands of missing children every year. Many cases are cold, some were resolved with happy endings and others with tragedies."_

"Did you find anything?"

"_I looked up the names Lawsie gave me. Momonosuke came up with nothing."_

"But?" Shachi prompted.

"_Mocha and Ria came up with a hit."_

Shachi pumped his fists into the air. That was his little sister!

"_Mocha disappeared two years ago and the Marines declared she died in a voyage accident. Ria disappeared almost a month ago and the Marines declared she also died in a voyage accident. Their parents insisted they were never out to sea but officials won't change their stance."_

Marines, huh? Shachi had seen the Marine's worst side far too often to count, but he'd never expect them to be part of an underground operation like this. Not when their motto was 'justice' and they clung to it as fiercely as he clung to his Jolly Roger.

"_I pulled every file of children supposedly dying in voyage accidents and in about a quarter of them, the parents requested a reinvestigation because their children could not have been near or in the waters. There's almost a hundred of them within the past two years. This is big, Shach."_

"Yeah." Shachi leaned back in the chair. "Can you dig into that and see how far up the chain the corruption goes?"

"_Done."_ Iruka sounded too smug for his liking. _"I cross-referenced dates of kidnapping reports with dates of marine activity. They all coincide with one specific branch—G5."_

The Marine's unruliest soldiers. No surprise there—they were a bunch of savages. Shachi had no clue how or why they were even marines. They looked no better than a ragtag bunch of pirates themselves.

"_The man overseeing G5 is Vice-admiral Vergo. He's the one who officially declared each case closed."_

Shachi frowned. "We're going up against a vice-admiral?"

"_What's the big deal?"_ Iruka snorted. _"You're going up against a War Lord and one of the Four Emperors. A vice-admiral is nothing in comparison."_

"True." Shachi grabbed one of Bepo's quills and scrawled down the name. "Captain'll be pleased to hear this. Thanks a bunch, Iruka. How much this time?"

"_One hundred thousand beli."_

Silence.

"How much for me?"

"_One hundred thousand beli."_

"I'm your brother!"

"_Two hundred thousand beli!"_

Shachi sighed. "How much for Captain?"

"_Ninety thousand beli plus every drop of information you can get on Punk Hazard. Climate, flora, fauna, facilities, machines, experiments—everything down to the last bottle of formaldehyde rotting away in the laboratory cupboards."_

It wasn't much of a discount, but Shachi took it. He fiddled with the controls on the den-den fax machine. "I've wired it to your account."

"_Fantastic. And my information?"_

"You'll get it when Captain calls again."

Shachi expected her to complain. Nothing came. His stomach dropped to his bowels.

"_What?"_ Iruka's voice was low. _"Aren't you with Lawsie?"_

"Uh…" Hadn't he told her? "No. Captain went alone to Punk Hazard. The rest of us are waiting for him in Zo."

One.

Two.

Three.

"_ARE YOU INSANE?"_

Iruka's scream ripped through the den-den mushi and bounced off the walls, magnifying its volume by ten times. Shachi clamped his hands over his ears. The whole crew could probably hear her.

"_I DIDN'T GIVE YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION SO LAWSIE COULD FACE JOKER, KAIDO, CAESAR AND HIS MINIONS ALONE. NOW THERE'S A VICE-ADMIRAL INVOLVED AND NONE OF YOU ARE THERE TO HAVE HIS BACK. WHAT KIND OF A PIRATE CREW ARE YOU? WHAT WAS PENGSIE THINKING, LETTING LAWSIE GO LIKE THAT? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, LETTING LAWSIE GO LIKE THAT? ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED—wait, did you say you were in Zo?"_

Shachi gingerly removed his hands. The echoes reverberated in the control room, making his ears ring. He knocked on his head a couple of times to clear it out. "Yeah, why?"

The sound of papers shuffling and glass tinkling came through the den-den mushi.

"_Perfect. I'm a few islands away on business. So when I'm done, I'm coming to Zo to kick your butts."_

Shachi paled. He didn't say goodbye. He slammed the receiver down and shot out of the control room.

He crashed into a blond kid, Ginji, who laughed and took it in his stride. "Was that Iruka I heard screaming?"

Shachi grabbed Ginji's shoulders. "Where's Penguin?"

"Huh? The engine room, I think. He's still looking at them with Jean Bart."

"Thanks!"

Shachi pelted towards the engine room and threw open the door, startling both of the men inside. Penguin, high up on a ladder, jumped and hit his head on one of the overhead pipes.

Swearing and clutching his head, Penguin glared down at his friend. "What?"

Shachi opened his mouth to respond when something huge barrelled into him. He hit the floor face first and tasted blood. With a curse, Shachi spat out a red glob and glared at Bepo, who waved his arms and pointed to something in his paw.

"Bepo, calm down," Jean Bart said, shifting uncomfortably in the enclosed space.

"What's wrong?" Penguin added. "Shachi was about to say something important."

"Yeah." Shachi picked himself up and groaned, his ribs throbbing again. That bear needed to know his own strength. "I was about to say—"

"Nevermind!" Bepo cried. He thrust his paw into Shachi's face. "Look!"

Shachi peered through the fur and paled.

"Oh no," he breathed. "Captain's vivre card."

The edges of the piece of paper glowed with fire and slowly, the flames ate their way down.

"What are we going to do?" Bepo tugged at his boiler suit, his fur and his ears. "Captain's in trouble! His life force is draining! We have to help him! Warm up the engines!"

"Wait, hold on, Bepo, just calm down for a momen—BEPO!" Penguin roared.

Bepo whimpered but quietened. His ears lay flat across his skull and he kept his eyes on the ground.

Penguin took the vivre card and inspected it, brushing the tip of his index finger across the flames and watching as the paper broke into ashes. His jaw tightened, slackened and tightened again. Shachi, Bepo and Jean Bart waited for his decision.

Shachi felt bad for his friend. None of them had prepared for this possibility—heck, none of them even considered it! Captain choosing Penguin to stand in had been nothing but a formality yet here they were, with Penguin forced to make a decision that could very well break apart the crew.

"We're not doing anything." Penguin slipped the vivre card back into Bepo's paw. "Captain gave us orders to stay put and we're going to do just that."

"But Captain—"

"—is strong. He may be in trouble now but he can get himself out of his own mess, and when he does we'll see the vivre card grow back. Have a little faith in our captain, you big bear." Penguin leaned over, bumped the yellow bill of his hat onto Bepo's muzzle and smiled. "Shachi, what were you about to say?"

"Uh." Shachi thought back. "Iruka. She's coming here."

"Who's Iruka?" Jean Bart asked.

"My little sister."

"Well," Penguin said after a moment. "The timing isn't great but her company will be welcome. She'll take our minds off Captain."

* * *

**A.N.**

Whoo, new chapter! If you picked up on the movie reference, let me know! :D

I don't know if you wonderful people noticed, but I update approximately once a fortnight. Unfortunately, I'll be away next week and have three assignments due the week after, so I won't be updating for a short while.

I am terribly sorry to leave you guys with this cliffhanger, but I promise I'll be back soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Acquaintance**

Chapter 5

* * *

When Law practised medicine under Doflamingo all those years ago, he'd been encouraged to experiment and determine the extent of his Devil Fruit powers. In one such experiment, Law placed beating hearts into a vice, increased the pressure and recorded how long it took before the subjects expired. Some died instantly. Others took longer. Law then ran a series of tests to determine whether there was a relationship between subject health and time till death. His results showed a positive correlation between the two variables.

It was a good thing Law's physical condition was superior to most, otherwise he'd be lying dead in the snow. He had no doubt that someone squeezed his heart—it was also a good thing Law hadn't been in the facility when it happened because he couldn't let Caesar know just how fragile the human heart was. When Law got back, he'd have to have a polite conversation with the scientist about proper organ safe-keeping.

Law pulled the entrance door closed behind him and inspected his surroundings. The building was as cavernous as ever, and devoid of activity which made it all the larger. There were no guards milling about and the machinery was eerily silent.

His heels clicked on the tiled floor, echoing long and loud. The voice in Law's head warned him of danger but he didn't feel the need to create a Room. The only people here were a crazy scientist, a harpy secretary and a few scores of hybrid guardsmen. They didn't constitute a threat.

The entirety of Building B was empty. Perhaps there had been an accident in another part of the facility but there were no sirens to indicate danger. Law shook his head, put it out of his mind and headed towards Building C where Caesar's personal laboratory was situated. Monet had explicitly stated in the contract that Law wasn't allowed to go there but he figured he might as well—if Caesar was there then they could talk and if he wasn't then Law could investigate.

The smell of ethanol and formaldehyde grew more and more pungent as Law neared the laboratory. He rapped his knuckles three times on the door and pushed it open.

"Caesar?"

The pink gaseous mixture in the air solidified into Caesar's human form. The scientist threw his arms wide open with a clown's grin. "Trafalgar! You're just in time to witness something incredible. Come closer, and make sure you watch closely because I'm finally going to be the greatest scientist in the world. I'm finally going to beat Vegapunk!"

"I'm not interested," Law said.

"Oh, you want to see this," Caesar assured. He swirled around the bench in a frenzy, grabbing test tubes, bottles, pipettes and measuring cylinders. "I've finally perfected my weapon of mass destruction!"

"I couldn't care less." Law clamped a hand down on the scientist's shoulder and sent a slight pulse of Haki into the scientist to stop him from slipping away. "Caesar. Where's my heart?"

"Hmm?" Caesar paused in his frantic scrabble, comically supporting an array of equipment between his fingers and holding his arms at odd angles. "What's wrong, Trafalgar? You want it back? I thought you didn't like being babysat."

"Where's. My. Heart."

Caesar set his equipment back on the bench with gentle clinks and stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Now that you mention it, I might have… misplaced it."

Law's fingers tightened.

Seeing the look on his face, Caesar cackled. "Wait, that's not the right word. What I meant to say is that I sold it."

Sold it?

Caesar slipped out from Law's grasp, swirled over to the other side of the bench and began arranging his materials.

"You see, technological advances aren't the government's main priority. It's a bit of a problem because that's how scientists like me earn a living. There's never enough funding for our work and me, well, I can't exactly go up to the Marines and ask for a share of the taxpayers' money, can I? That means I have to take opportunities whenever I can and you just fell into my lap. You wouldn't _believe_ how many people out there are ready to fork over a hefty sum for your precious heart. One of them happened to be nearby so he got first dibs!"

Law clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to stab Caesar in the face. Repeatedly. "You must think very little of your secretary if you're willing to put her at risk like that. Did you think I wouldn't harm her if you double-crossed me?"

Caesar airily waved his hand. "She and the rest of my subordinates are searching for her heart as we speak. I wouldn't be surprised if they've found it already, what with the sheer manpower I have at my disposal."

Law pulled Kikoku from its sheath and pointed it at Caesar. "I want a name."

"Whose name?" Caesar opened his eyes wide and batted his lashes in a sickening display of feigned innocence.

"The man who has my heart," Law snarled.

"That would be me."

Law spun around, eyes zeroing in on that tall silhouette.

Angular sunglasses.

Hooked sideburns.

Food on his face.

There was no way Law couldn't have recognised the man. Everything about that figure was burned into Law's memory a hundred times over. His breath caught in his throat and his voice came out hoarse.

"Vergo."

"It's been far too long," Vergo said, stepping into the laboratory. Caesar flew behind him and stuck his tongue out once he was safely out of Law's reach.

Law curled his fingers tightly around Kikoku's hilt. Of all the people Caesar could have sold his heart to, it had to be this man whom Law despised almost as much as he despised Doflamingo.

"Room!"

Law tossed his sheath aside, gripped Kikoku with both hands and swung, the strike magnified by the effects of his Devil Fruit. Vergo ducked, and Caesar followed his lead with a yelp. Kikoku's impact cut through the air, smashed everything in its path, thudded into the steel walls and left deep, gnarled dents.

"That's no way to greet someone," Vergo said, straightening up. "Your manners haven't improved at all."

Law held Kikoku rigid. "Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Vergo held out his hands. "I'm here for you. It's time you returned home."

Law almost laughed. What exactly was a home supposed to be? His crew often talked about their families back in their homelands. They spoke with fondness and love, a soft look in their eyes and affection in their voices. Law could never refer to Doflamingo's mansion in that way, not when it was a place he happened to live in during childhood. Not when it was the place that never made him feel lonelier.

"The mansion was never a home for me." Law angled Kikoku and stared down the blade at Vergo. "I'm done playing Doflamingo's subordinate."

"I thought you might say that." Vergo reached into his pocket and pulled out a heart, Law's heart, beating in its cube. "I would reconsider if I were you. Accept my invitation while I'm still being nice."

There was no need for Law to reconsider.

He swiped a bottle from Caesar's bench and hurled it at Vergo.

"Soran!"

Vergo disappeared, leaving Caesar to catch it.

"Whoa!" Caesar shrieked, not trying at all but rather swarming backwards and letting the glass bottle shatter on the floor. The solution hissed and began spreading outwards in a pool, leaving the tiles discoloured and corroded in its wake. "Dammit, Trafalgar! You don't throw acid around! What kind of safety lesson did you learn as a doctor?"

A flash of white caught the periphery of Law's vision. He whipped around, bringing Kikoku swinging in a downstroke that would cleave Vergo in two.

_Clang!_

The shock of the impact shot up Law's arms. He gritted his teeth and wrestled the blade down against Vergo's arm which was strengthened with Armament Haki.

Vergo's free hand closed in, index finger pointed to sever Law's neck. Law broke free and leapt back, the flat of his shoes skidding on the tiles.

Snow whirled around him.

_What?_

It snaked around his legs and lifted him up, then slammed him back down into the ground. Law's body snapped upwards and he lost his grip on Kikoku. More snow enveloped him and held him prisoner.

Monet stood to the side, one wing over her mouth but through the haze of pain, Law could make out the smirk in her eyes. Her bottom half was fused into the snow and Law cursed himself for never wondering how Monet successfully captured all those animals for the guards' surgeries.

"Thank you, Monet," Vergo said, straightening his jacket. "That was unnecessary though."

"It's better to be safe than sorry," she purred.

Vergo turned to Law. "This is your last chance. Are you coming home or not?"

Law let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Not even in your dreams, Vergo."

Vergo pulled out Law's heart again, and crushed it in his palm. The pain shot through Law's chest and he thrashed, screaming.

In a mild tone, Vergo said, "It's Mister Vergo to you."

* * *

**A.N.**

I am so, so sorry to the people who I promised I would update in "one week". It had been my original intention, but I forgot about exams and couldn't stick to my original schedule.

I won't be able to update for at least another two weeks because it's smack-bang in the middle of the exam period, but I really wanted to update today, even if it's a short chapter, because it's my birthday. Hooray! I'm now legally allowed to rent a car. Hehehe!


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